Trolley testing begins on San Diego's Mid-Coast extension line

The first trolley is being tested on the Mid-Coast extension of the University of California San Diego Blue Line.

The milestone signifies that train testing is beginning and that the San Diego Association of Governments is officially transferring responsibility for trolley operations to the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), according to a news release.

The Mid-Coast extension will expand the current trolley network to provide a one-seat ride from the U.S.-Mexico border north to the UC San Diego community. Major construction on the 11-mile trolley extension began in 2016. The project remains on schedule to begin passenger service in November.

MTS has added 45 new trolleys built by Siemens Mobility and partially funded by TransNet, the region’s half-cent sales tax for transportation projects. MTS has added 128 new positions to manage the extension.